Alabama Museum of Natural History hosts event for Fossil Day

Northridge High student’s discovery displayed at UA museum

Guests look at displays at the University of Alabama Museum of Natural History in Smith Hall on Wednesday on the UA campus. Wednesday was National Fossil Day, and the museum celebrated with an event for the community, including displays, hands-on activities for children, the unveiling of the elasmosaur specimen found this summer and demonstrations of 3-D printing of fossils.

Dusty Compton | The Tuscaloosa News

By Ashley ChaffinStaff Writer | The Tuscaloosa News

Published: Thursday, October 17, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, October 16, 2013 at 11:42 p.m.

A ninth-grader at Northridge High School on Wednesday helped reveal the fossils he discovered over the summer at the Alabama Museum of Natural History.

In celebration of National Fossil Day, Noah Traylor, who found the first piece of the fossil, and Dana Ehret, curator of paleontology at the museum, unveiled the bones at an event that celebrated Alabama paleontology.

“This is the first time we’ve done anything with National Fossil Day,” said Randy Mecredy, director of the museum said.

“What we’re looking at are fossils from the coal age, Cretaceous and Ice Age. That’s what the museum represents. We’ve brought in experts from those areas ... Everything is Alabama-specific.”

Traylor discovered the elasmosaur bones while at the museum’s paleontology summer camp in Greene County in June.

He said he had been attending the camp since he was in sixth grade and had found some fossils before, but never anything of importance.

“(It felt) pretty good. I was surprised at first — I thought they were all joking around at first,” Traylor said. “But then all the paleontologist said, ‘This is a bone,’ so I knew.”

Traylor said he was also surprised that the unveiling for the fossils was at such a well-attended event and that he was proud of himself for the find.

There were 10 vertebrate bones on display Wednesday evening, but Ehret said they have about 20 to 25 total that they found over the summer. He said it was thanks to Traylor and all the other students, staff and volunteers that they were able to make the discovery and prepare it.

“The elasmosaur — that’s a pretty important find for us,” Mecredy said. “It’s pretty common throughout the Cretaceous Period, but not here in Alabama. This is only the second time fossils of that nature have been discovered (here), so it’s big for us, but not necessarily in Kansas.”

Also showcased at the event was one of the many 3D printers that the University of Alabama’s engineering department has. Holland Hopson, a professor at UA, helped to explain what the printer was doing as it made little key chains that looked like fossilized teeth for the kids at the event to take home.

“This all leads up to another Science Sunday that we’ll have in January, where we’ll focus on 3D imagery and 3D printing,” Mecredy said.

Science Sundays are events held for kids at the museum, he said. In January, they will also have a 3D image of the room from Wednesday’s event. Scientists were using the 3D scanners to scan the room.

“It scans every square inch so it’ll be like you’re walking in the room,” he said.

Cindy Moore discovered the event and the Alabama Museum of Natural History online just a few hours before the presentation was supposed to begin. She decided to surprise her daughter, Emily, who is a fourth-grader in Helena, with a trip to the museum.

“She’s very, very interested in marine biology and paleontology is a new interest,” Moore said. “She took an after school science class and loved it.”

She said she was happy to have found out about the event at the museum and said they’d definitely be back. Emily said her favorite part of Wednesday’s event was the table filled with fossils from the marine biologists on campus.

“I’m really happy (with the turnout),” Ehret said. “Especially kids, because one of the things I wanted people to see is that you don’t have to be an actual paleontologist to make really cool finds. You can be a high school or middle school student and really help us.

“I hope one of them becomes the next paleontologist out there discovering, this is how I got started.”

<p>A ninth-grader at Northridge High School on Wednesday helped reveal the fossils he discovered over the summer at the Alabama Museum of Natural History.</p><p>In celebration of National Fossil Day, Noah Traylor, who found the first piece of the fossil, and Dana Ehret, curator of paleontology at the museum, unveiled the bones at an event that celebrated Alabama paleontology. </p><p>“This is the first time we've done anything with National Fossil Day,” said Randy Mecredy, director of the museum said. </p><p>“What we're looking at are fossils from the coal age, Cretaceous and Ice Age. That's what the museum represents. We've brought in experts from those areas ... Everything is Alabama-specific.” </p><p>Traylor discovered the elasmosaur bones while at the museum's paleontology summer camp in Greene County in June. </p><p>He said he had been attending the camp since he was in sixth grade and had found some fossils before, but never anything of importance. </p><p>“(It felt) pretty good. I was surprised at first — I thought they were all joking around at first,” Traylor said. “But then all the paleontologist said, 'This is a bone,' so I knew.” </p><p>Traylor said he was also surprised that the unveiling for the fossils was at such a well-attended event and that he was proud of himself for the find. </p><p>There were 10 vertebrate bones on display Wednesday evening, but Ehret said they have about 20 to 25 total that they found over the summer. He said it was thanks to Traylor and all the other students, staff and volunteers that they were able to make the discovery and prepare it. </p><p>“The elasmosaur — that's a pretty important find for us,” Mecredy said. “It's pretty common throughout the Cretaceous Period, but not here in Alabama. This is only the second time fossils of that nature have been discovered (here), so it's big for us, but not necessarily in Kansas.”</p><p>Also showcased at the event was one of the many 3D printers that the University of Alabama's engineering department has. Holland Hopson, a professor at UA, helped to explain what the printer was doing as it made little key chains that looked like fossilized teeth for the kids at the event to take home.</p><p>“This all leads up to another Science Sunday that we'll have in January, where we'll focus on 3D imagery and 3D printing,” Mecredy said.</p><p>Science Sundays are events held for kids at the museum, he said. In January, they will also have a 3D image of the room from Wednesday's event. Scientists were using the 3D scanners to scan the room. </p><p>“It scans every square inch so it'll be like you're walking in the room,” he said. </p><p>Cindy Moore discovered the event and the Alabama Museum of Natural History online just a few hours before the presentation was supposed to begin. She decided to surprise her daughter, Emily, who is a fourth-grader in Helena, with a trip to the museum. </p><p>“She's very, very interested in marine biology and paleontology is a new interest,” Moore said. “She took an after school science class and loved it.” </p><p>She said she was happy to have found out about the event at the museum and said they'd definitely be back. Emily said her favorite part of Wednesday's event was the table filled with fossils from the marine biologists on campus.</p><p>“I'm really happy (with the turnout),” Ehret said. “Especially kids, because one of the things I wanted people to see is that you don't have to be an actual paleontologist to make really cool finds. You can be a high school or middle school student and really help us. </p><p>“I hope one of them becomes the next paleontologist out there discovering, this is how I got started.”</p><p>Reach Ashley Chaffin at ashley.chaffin@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0230.</p>